Do racehorses have a special or specific diet?

The short answer is yes, they do. Thoroughbred racehorses are elite equine athletes so, akin to their human counterparts, their diet is designed specifically to keep them fit, healthy and performing to the best of their ability. In terms of digestible energy or, in other words, the amount of energy in the diet that is absorbed, a typical racehorse requires approximately 35 megacalories (Mcal) or 35,000 kilocalories (kcal).

During exercise, muscle glycogen, which is a stored form of glucose, is the primary fuel for a racehorse. Thus, racehorses need quick-release energy sources, in the form of low-fat, high-carbohydrate cereal grains, such as barley, corn and oats, to prevent fatigue. Fat, too, is a concentrated energy source that supplies calories for lower intensity training, as well as being beneficial to the coat, hooves, joints and skin.

Likewise, fibre is a source of energy and helps to maintain proper gut function, which is essential to the health and well-being of a racehorse. Thus, racehorses should eat up to 2.5% of their body weight in fibre-rich forage, such as grasses, hays or legumes; that’s up to 25lb per day in the case of a typical mature racehorse.

Other necessary diatary components include protein, ideally from cereal, oilseeds or pulses, which helps to build and maintain muscle mass, minerals and trace elements, such as salt, calcium and magnesium, which help reduce fatigue and joint pain, and vitamin E, which prevents damage to muscle cells. Of course, hydration is also paramount, with even an inactive racehorse requiring up to ten gallons of water a day to replace lost fluid.